DThe health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit says it registered an unusually high number of sick notes this summer. From July to September, each employee missed an average of 4.6 days – even though there was no summer flu wave, according to an analysis of the fund, which is available to the German Press Agency. In the same period last year there were 4.3 days of absence despite the severe cold wave.
With a view to the upcoming cold season in the last quarter, the DAK is expecting an annual high. “Based on our analysis, we assume that in 2023 we will have a total of well over 20 days of absence per employee per year for the first time in many years,” said DAK CEO Andreas Storm. In 2022, the DAK recorded an average of almost 20 days of absence among employees – a good five days more than in 2021.
It was said that a further increase in mental illnesses was primarily responsible for the continued very high level of sickness in the summer. There were the greatest increases in this area and in the area of musculoskeletal problems (back). 101 days of absence per 100 employees were due to musculoskeletal disorders and 87 days of absence per 100 employees were due to mental illnesses. According to experts, many sick notes due to back problems are also linked to psychological stress.
“The aftereffects of the pandemic, the uncertainty in Germany due to the many crises in the world: all of this is increasingly putting a strain on people’s psyches,” said Storm. According to the information, data from almost 2.4 million employees insured with DAK were evaluated for the analysis.
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